Mason’s actions were outlined in a news release issued one week after an internal university investigation was made public. That report stated there was a “reasonable basis” to conclude Gray had violated the university’s policy on sexual harassment.

“The University of Iowa owes an apology to everyone affected by this avoidable incident,” said Mason, who did not speak to reporters on Friday. “We cannot afford to allow even an isolated breakdown in our system to compromise that fundamental commitment.”

The changes announced include a structural shake-up that gives administrators some oversight responsibilities for duties previously performed within the athletic department.

• Supervision for student-athlete advising services in the department of athletics will report to the provost — the school’s chief academic officer — and athletic director for at least two years.

• Supervision of the compliance operations in the department of athletics will report to the general counsel and athletic director for at least two years.

Other changes announced Friday:

• The university will conduct a detailed review of all hiring processes, starting with the department of athletics, to ensure units are being compliant with accepted practices for the vetting and hiring of job applicants.

• The university will launch an internal audit that will be charged with examining processes in the areas of student-athlete advising services and compliance.

• All individuals in advising service and compliance operations will be required to take additional sexual harassment training. Such training is mandated for all U of I employees.

The university’s latest statement said it would not publicly discuss disciplinary actions that pertain to employees involved.

When asked whether Fred Mims — who as the U of I’s associate athletic director for student services was Gray’s superior — would continue to oversee student-athlete advising and compliance operations under the new changes, university spokesman Tom Moore said he was unable to discuss confidential personnel matters.

Mims frequently travels with the Hawkeye football team to road games, but he did not travel to Michigan, where Iowa plays today.

“He did not make the trip,” athletic director Gary Barta said at the team’s hotel in Ypsilanti, Mich. “His choice.”

When asked how Mason’s review could affect Mims, Barta said: “The president’s release is all we released, and beyond that I don’t have anything else.”

The university has refused to answer specific questions related to the investigation, including why Gray was rehired in 2002 after co-workers observed unprofessional behavior during his first stint of employment at the U of I, and why Gray was allowed to resign after investigators amassed enough evidence to conclude the university’s sexual harassment policies had been violated. Gray resigned Nov. 5, with Barta initially saying it was because of “personal reasons.”

The university’s report also detailed claims that Gray traded football tickets and money for sexual favors, touched a student’s genitals and had been observed for years by co-workers touching student-athletes in an unprofessional manner, including unsolicited shoulder rubbing and prolonged hugging.

Since the Iowa City Press-Citizen broke the story about the internal investigation’s findings, the only newspaper reporters Mason has spoken to were from the U of I student newspaper.

However, the university’s statement on Friday indicated that she had “completed my extensive inquiry” and was “confident we have developed remedies addressing the breakdowns that occurred.”

Moore, the university spokesman, said Friday that Gray, 59, was suspended immediately after the U of I’s leadership had been made aware of the concerns, though Moore did not say when Gray was actually suspended. The university report indicates that a formal complaint was filed against Gray on Oct. 4 and the investigation, conducted by officials from the human resources department and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, was dated Oct. 24.

The Iowa Board of Regents issued a statement Friday commending Mason for initiating an internal investigation of athletics compliance.

Mason is expected to issue a report to the regents based on her investigation, though when she will do so is unclear.

“There’s no specific timeline at this time,” Moore said. “We have immediately begun the review of hiring practices and the internal audit, and we will complete them as swiftly as possible.”

Gray had worked at the university in the mid-1990s and was rehired in 2002. The U of I investigation found that co-workers had observed Gray’s “overly friendly” touching of student-athletes as early as his first stint of employment. Records also show that Gray was fired from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., in 1998 because of job performance.

Although hiring practices are being reviewed, earlier this week a U of I law school professor defended the athletic department’s rehiring of Gray. N. William Hines, the head of the university’s Presidential Committee on Athletics, said that Gray was rehired in 2002 after an extensive national search.

Mason met privately Thursday with three members of the Board of Regents — President Craig Lang, President Pro Tem Bruce Rastetter and Regent Jack Evans — to discuss the Gray case. But the session was not open to the public.

“The board has full confidence in President Mason to conduct a thorough investigation,” Lang said in a statement.

“Her deep concern for the safety of students, faculty and staff, and her solid determination to identify answers and address the specific findings of this case will lead the university to the necessary conclusions.

“It is paramount to ensure the safety of the UI campus. The board looks forward to a report of the findings from President Mason’s investigation.”